Lighthouse construction.



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' port for a lighthouse und er the severest condi- '5 5 with iron or other metallic side plates surl Various chan-ges may be made in the presuo I UNITED STATES PATENT orrion.

THOMAS KEN NARD THOMSON, OF YONKERS, NEW YORK.

LIGHTHOUSE CONSTRUCTION.

To all whom it may canberra:

Be it. known that I, THOMAS KEXNARD THoMsoN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Lowerre, Yonkers, in the county of I-.Vestchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lighthouse Construction, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

This invention relates particularly to the construction of lighthousefoundations which are built above wat-er and then sunk intoposition.

It has for its object the provision of such 'a structure as will a' ord a strong and stable suptions to which it may naturallybe subjected, and, furthermore, to rovide such a structure as shall be capable oi) being readilysunk into position whereb the placing o the same may be accom llshedwith great expedition.

I-Ieretofore ighthouse-foundations built above water and sunk into position have, as a generalrule, either been very unstable when in position, owing to the buoyancy of the base thereof, or have required an unusually large amount of labor `and time in their placing. These difficulties the present invention is designed to overcome.

In the drawings, in which the invention is illustrated,'I1`i re 1 is a view in central vertical section o one embodiment of the imroved structure, and Fi 2 is a View showlng the base in plan an the pillar in horizontal section. In Fig. l of the drawings the structure is' represented as` already sunk into position with its-base restin 'in the bed or bottoni of a body of water the liavel of which is indicated at a, the bed or bottom of the body of water being shown as made up of different strata, such as mud b and sand c.

The structure, which may be built on shore or on the surface of the water, as desired, comprises a illar secured to or integral with a base whic 1 s reads out around the pillar, so as to form a 'lglrm and stable bottom for the pillar to rest upon.

The pillar may be composed of concrete or the like or of reinforced concrete or may be a' steel pillar or, in fact, may be formed of any suitable material or materials. In the. present case it is shown as formed of conc-rete -Specication of Letters Patent.

' Application filed August 23. 1905. Serial No. 275.360;

Patented Dec. 18, 1906.

rounding the san1e,whicl1 side plates serve to strengthen the concrete body and to protect itfroin the action of the water. The pillar, for convenience in construction, may be built with a hollow space which may subsequently be lilled up with sand, concrete, or any other suitable substance, if desired.

The basel of the structure, which spreads out around the lower end of the pillar, so that it is relatively broad as compared with the pillar, lis preferably formed with a frame g of wooden beams, in which there is provided an air-chamber h for the workmen while ,the structure is being placed in its permanent position, the said chamber communicating with thehollow space f, or with any space which extends above the surface of the water, by means of shafts, such as the shaft i. Upon this frame g is placed a sufficient quantity of concrete or other suitable material .1c the weight of which, together with the weight of the pillar and the other parts of the structure is amply sufficient to offset the buoyancy oi Ythe wooden portions of the frame.

In order to sink the structure with expedition, a coiier-dam Z may be built upon the base and for this purpose the frame gis referably extended u ward at the sides o .the

base to the desire extent. The concrete. c may then be laced into the bottom of the cofer-dam an asupon the top of the working chamber, and enough concrete may be thus laid to nearly overcome the buoyancy of the structure as a whole. Then by introducing water into the Colfer-dam the structure can be gradually sunk into1 position. The collerdam ofcourse may be made as large and extensive as desired, the proportions shown in the drawings being illustrative only and not binding, -and when the structure is in its final osition the coil'er-dam may be removed or lfilled with stones, sand, concrete, or any' other material, as the conditions of each par ticular case may dictate. Y

`Such a structure as the resent one obviously furnishes 'an absolute y stable support for a lighthouse. The pillar, although subjected to the action of a strong currentand beating waves,will not, on account of its relative narrowness, receive force enou Uh o'r sufiiciently heavy shocks to disturb the structure as a whole, nor ndll the base be buoyant and tend ,to upset th structure, as in many of the constructions heretofore employed.

I ent structure without departing from the spirit of the invention, and accordingly the un rovenients are not limited to the single ein odiment of the invention herein specife built above water l .and sunk into position to serve as the foundaspreads out around thel pillar, and a coger-dam built upon the base, substantially as and for thev purpose set forth. i 3. In n.. structure to be built above water and sunk into position to serve as the foundation of a lighthouse, the combination of a pillar adapted to support :i superstructure, a. base therefor consisting of e. frame forininga working chamber below and a coller-darn above, and a filling of concrete in the bottom z of the coller-dani, as and for the purpose Set forth.

This specification signed and witnessed this 7th dal-y of August, A D. 1905.

T. ENNARD THOMSON. In presence O5- ANTHONY X. JESBERA, LUerUs E. VARNEY. 

